Grass-grubber.



N0. 836,284. PATBNTBD NOV. 20, 190'6.

C. W. STARK.

` GRASS 'GRUBBER APrLIoATIoN Hmm Nov. 2a. 190s.

2 sums-snm 1.'

No. 836,284. PATENTEDNOV. 20, 1906. C. W. STARK.

GRASS GRUBBER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov: z3. 1905.

2 snnn'rs-SEBET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed November23, 1905. Serial No. 288.786.

To all whom, it .ma/y concern:

`Be it known that I, CHABLIS W. STARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mountain Lake, in the county of Cottonwood, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grass-Grubbers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to grass-grubbers.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated embodying such characteristics that grass may be readily uprooted and in the event of its clinging to the teeth of the machine it may be readily removed therefrom.

Another obj ect of the invention resides in the provision of a machine of the nature stated embodying such characteristics that it may readily be converted into an ordinary cultivator.

l/Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it` being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the rakeshaft. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the hangers. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one pair of equalizing members. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the segment. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through the operating-lever and segment, illustrating the pawl within the case of the lever.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference characters 1 and 2 designate side sills of the frame of the machine. These sills are connected at their forward ends by a cross-piece 3 and near their rear ends by a cross-piece 4.

The cross-piece 4 rests at each end in the notches 5 of the plates 6, secured in any suitable manner at the extreme rear ends of the sills 1 and 2.

Each side sill is provided with aperforation 7, which perforations aline with each other to form bearings for the axle 8, which latter supports the ground-wheels 9.

Hangers 10 and 11 depend from the side sills 1 and 2. Each of these hangers 10 and 11 consists of a single piece of material which is bent upon itself and arranged to form spaced bearings 12 and 13 intermediate its ends for interchangeable support of the transverse shaft 14, there being spaced bearings 15 and 16 at the lower ends of each hanger 10 and 11 for interchangeable support of a lower transverse shaft 17. Each hanger is braced by means of the diagonal braces 18 and 19, the braces 18 being connected at one end to the under face of the corresponding plate 6 and the brace 19 being secured in any suitable manner to the front cross-piece 3. Between these two said hangers 10 and 11 I provide an intermediate pair of hangers 20, which are the same in form and construction as the hangers 10 and 11 and designed for the same purpose. However, these intermediate hangers 20 are supported from the rear cross-piece 4 and spaced intermediate sills 21 and 22, which latter are secured to the cross-pieces 3 and 4 with their rear ends extending beyond the latter.

Arranged upon each of the intermediate sills 21 and 22 is a journal-bearing 23, designed for the reception of a short transverse shaft 24. A segment 25 is provided with an angular portion 26, whose intermediate portion is curved upwardly, at at 27, for engagement with said short transverse shaft 24, adjacent one of the bearings 23, the said angular portion 26 of the segment 25 being provided also with feet 28 for engagement upon opposite sides of the said Short shaft 24, which feet are secured to the intermediate sill 22 in any suitable manner to support the segment in proper position with respect to the short transverse shaft 24 and the lever 29, which has a rearwardly-directed. extension 30. This lever 29 has a rectangulanshaped perforation 31 for engagement with a rectangular-shaped portion 32 of the said short transverse shaft 24, whereby the latter may be rocked for a purpose presently understood. This lever 29 is provided with a handle 33 of U shape,

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in the casing 45 of the lever 29 for engage-V ment interchangeably with a tooth 46 of the segment 25 to hold the rock-shaft 24 in various positions. 1

I provide a series of tooth-bars arranged in pairs. Each pair of tooth-bars consists of spaced members 47 and 48, which converge .toward each other toward their outer ends and are held in such spaced relation by means of spacing elements 49. The inner ends of the spaced tooth members 47 and 48 are provided with alining perforations for engagement with the upper transverse shaft 14, there being suitable spacing-cleats. 50 arranged upon the shaft 14 between each pair of toothbars. The outer ends of each pair of toothbars are provided with a perforation for the reception of pivot-bolts 51, which pivot-bolts l are designed to pass through a perforation 52, formed intermediate the ends of each of the teeth 53, whereby one of the latter may be pivotally engaged between the members 47 and 48 of-each tooth-bar. It will be observed that the lower end of each tooth 53 is curved forwardly, as at 54, and pointed .at its extremity and that the upper straight en 55 of eachtooth is provided with a series of perforations 56.

I provide a series of equalizing members 57, arranged in pairs, each pair consisting of spaced members 58 and 59, each converging toward each other toward their outer ends, as shown. Each pair of equalizing members 57 is arranged beneath corresponding members of each tooth-bar, the inner ends of the equalizing members of each pair thereof being pivotally mounted upon the lower transverse shaft 1.7 with their rear endsbent upwardly, as at 60, and then rearwardly, as at 61, for engagement upon opposite sides of the straight portions 55 of the corresponding teeth 53, there being a suitable bolt 62 passed through the portion 61 ofthe equalizing members and one of the aforesaid series of perforations 56 of the teeth. The members 58 and 59 of each pair of equalizing members 57 are held in spaced relation to each other by means of the forward and rearward spacing members 63 and 64, respectively. It will be seen that by reason of the upwardly and rearwardly directed portions 60 and. 61, respectively, of the equalizing members the toothbars are arranged between corresponding members 58 and. 59 of each equalizing member. seen that by reason of the perforations 56 of the teeth and the fact that the transverse shafts 14 and 17 may be changed from one to the other of the bearings 12 and 13 and 15 and 16 of the aforesaid hangers the penetration of the teeth 53 in the ground may be readily adjusted.

In order to remove any grass that may adhere to the teeth 53, I provide tooth-cleaners 50, each of which includes spaced members 51', which lie upon opposite sides of each of the teeth and which are provided at their forward end portions with alining slots 52. Curved links 53', which are pivoted intermediate their ends between the bars 47 and 48 and which are provided at their lower ends with pins 54, which have their ends engaged in the slots 52 in the cleaning memn bers. Pivoted to the other ends of the links 53 are links 55, the said links 55 being pivoted at their opposite ends to pivot-pins 56. It will be seen that by rocking the lever 29 the shaft 24 will be rocked to cause the arms and links 66 to lift the arms 47, the links 53 being by this means raisedto cause the cleaning 'members to be lowered along the sides of the teeth to remove the grass which may have adhered thereto.

In order to throw the teeth 53 forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the axle 8 or the frame of the machine, I connect the upper surface of the series of tooth-bars 47 and 48 witha transverse brace 63 and upon the upper face of this brace 63 I provide spaced legs 64 upon adjacent sides of which latter I pivotally secure the plates 66 and 67, each of which is provided at its upper ends with a series of alining perforations 68, which perforations `68 are designed to coperate with a series of perforations 69 in a lever 70 and with the series of perforations at the It willalso be 65 IOO extremity of the angular portion 30 of the 70 an adjustment may be made between the plates and levers when desired. By pressure upon the sliding member 38 in the handgrip 39 of the lever 29 the pawl 44 may be disengaged from the teeth 46 of the segment 25 and the lever 29 moved backwardly or forwardly froni saidsegment to throw the teeth 53 forwardly or rearwardly, according to the movement of the lever 29.

I secure upon the frame of the machine intermediate the side sills 1 and 2 a tongue 74, and upon the rear end of the tongue I provide a seat 75 and a foot-rest 76, the seat being arranged in close proximity to the lever 29. The tongue is braced by means of ITO IZO

the diagonal braces 77, which are connected to the tongue and to the frame, and the draft appliance may be disposed upon or beneath the tongue by reason of the upper and lower draft-connecting attachments 7 S and 7 9.

What is claimed isl. A machine of the character described, comprising a wheeled frame, hangers depending` from the frame of the machine, upper and lower transverse shafts mounted for attachment in said hangers, pairs of tooth-bars arranged in series and mounted upon said upper shaft, a series of equalizing members arranged in pairs and connected to the lower transverse shaft, each pair of equalizing members overlapping a pair of toothbars, teeth connected to the overlapping tooth-bars and equalizing members, a rockshaft mounted upon the frame, cleaning elements associated with said tooth-bars and said equalizing members, and connections between the rock-shaft and the tooth-bars whereby the latter and the equalizing members may be moved with relationto each other and throw the teeth forwardly or rearwardly.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a wheeled frame, hangers depending from the frame, upper and lower transverse shafts mounted for vertical adliustment in said hangers, a series of toothbars connected with said upper shaft7 a series of equalizing members connected with said lower shaft and overlapping the toothbars at their outer ends, a tooth connected to the outer ends of each tooth-bar and equalizing member, cleaning elements associated with the said tooth-bars and said equalizing members, a cross-piece connecting the toothbars, spaced plates mounted upon said crosspieces, a rock-shaft mounted upon the frame, and connections between the rock-shaft and said plates whereby each tooth-bar may be moved with respect to its overlapping equalizing member to throw the teeth inwardly or outwardly, the teeth being adjustably connected to the equalizing members.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHABLIS W. STARK.

Witnesses ABR. JANZEN, JOHN J. JANZEN. 

